Villa duo freed

Aston Villa have handed free transfers to Alan Wright and Ian Taylor.

Defender Wright, 31, and Birmingham-born midfielder Taylor, 34, will leave Villa Park when their contracts end this summer.

Taylor, who made his final appearance in the defeat at Leeds, told the club’s official website, www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk: “It was a bit of an emotional day and just a pity I couldn’t end on a winning note.

“At the end the fans were brilliant. I don’t know if they knew or not. But I went over at the end as usual and they were chanting my name.

“I’ve had eight and a half good years at Villa. It’s tapered off a bit with us having such a bad season and with myself having a bad season with injuries.

“But I’ve had a great time and I don’t regret any of it at all. I’ve won the league cup, got to the FA Cup final and played in Europe.”

Taylor’s last two seasons have been hampered by injury but he has no plans to hang up his boots just yet.

He added: “I only found out on Saturday and of course it is disappointing. But I’m 34 now and you can’t play football forever.

“Hopefully I can get another club. I’ll have a bit of a break now and then see how it goes.”

Wright joined Villa in a £1m (€1.39m) deal in March 1995, six months after another £1m (€1.39m) deal took Taylor, then at Sheffield Wednesday, to Villa Park.